How to Draw an African Jacana - Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Let's draw an African jacana! Start with a small circle for the head and a small pointy beak at the end. Then, add a short neck that starts out skinny at the top but then curves and gets thicker toward the end.

Interesting Facts about the African Jacana

You can tell when you’re looking at an African Jacana because they have long toes with long claws. These allow them to walk around on vegetation that may be floating around in shallow bodies of water, usually lakes, where they like to live. The African Jacana can usually be found in tropical areas.

Did you know?

African Jacanas eat small insects or creatures that may either be on the floating vegetation with them or on the surface of the water surrounding them.

When it comes to parenting, the Daddy African Jacana does all the hard work. Because of this, the male African Jacana has actually developed the ability to pick up a chick and carry it around safely hidden underneath its father’s wings.

The African Jacana is not a migratory bird – meaning it doesn’t typically fly off to different areas. It tends to stay put, and the areas in which it stays put depend on the water levels each year. For example, in years where there is more rain, the African Jacana will retreat to other, drier areas.

African Jacanas are very skilled swimmers and divers. They can usually be seen walking around on lily pads, and their feet and claws make them easy to distinguish from other wader birds.